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whats a blocked duct look like?

I have a 15 week old who I partially bf and formula feed. She is growing and is healthy. When I'm at work I pump milk with medela PIS every 3 hrs and nurse at home. About wednesday or thursday my left breast started hurting when pumping; I figured it was just chaffing or something. It kept happening so I examined it alittle better and found what looked like a deep pimple on my areola just beside the nipple. Called the LC Friday and she says it sounds like a plugged duct. So I've been using heat and massaging it as often as possible. I moved pumpings up to 2.5 hrs at work. LC said if it doesn't clear in 4-5 days I need to see my OB and get antibiotic in case of infection and mastitis. Today I was pumping and it hurt way too much so I tried pumping one side and hand expressing the injured one...I don't really have the hang of it yet, so instead of saving all that milk I just let it collect in a towel. Well, I was trying to smash this hard lump under where that white head was and puss came out of the pore on the areola. Just milk comes out of the nipple, but when I push hard on the lump that is suspected to be a plugged duct a greenish-yellow pus comes out. The lump is still there but it IS smaller after I nurse or pump milk.

So is this what a plugged duct looks like? If pus is there then I suspect there is definatly infection of some sort. But I thought stuff would come out the nipple and not the side if it was a duct problem. Anyone have experience with this? I have an appt to see my OB on tuesday anyways, so if it's not fixed by then I'll just spring it on her at that time.

Re: whats a blocked duct look like?

Sounds like a bleb or blister to me. I had one once that took weeks to heal completely because it kept closing up again and I had to keep squeezing it to get the gunk out. You can use bacitracin ointment on it. Nursing was painful for a while on that side. Ibuprophen helps too. s

Hi, I'm Faith, a Wife, Mom, Stepmom and SAHM
I married my best friend Rodney on October 17, 2009DS1 Andy Born May 11, 2002DS2 Ethan Born May 18, 2009 Nursed 2 years 7 months & 2 daysDSS1 Benjamin Born September 24, 1989

Re: whats a blocked duct look like?

It doesn't sound like a blocked duct to me, at least not like the ones I have had. My blocked ducts were never something I could see. The lump was deep inside my breast and very tender when touched. When I would finally succeed at getting the plug to pass, it would pass out through a regular nipple pore with my milk. The plug typically would look like thick milk, or slimy, but never like pus. What you describe sounds more like a bleb, blister or infection.